NEW BLOG LOCATION at KatieRogersFengShui.com

Hi!

I'm so excited to announce that my blog is now linked up on my website!

Visit here at:  http://katierogersfengshui.com


I also have a YouTube channel where I've posted some videos for Feng Shui tips and advice.  Here's the link:  Katie's YouTube Channel


Cheers, and thanks for visiting!

Happy Feng Shui-ing,
Katie


P.S. Remember to check out my online classes as well!

Clutter: What It Is & What To Do About It

CLUTTER!  Biggest feng shui no-no of ALL!

Here's a peek at last night's lecture on de-cluttering and organization:

The following lists are inspired and/or borrowed by Karen Kingston's book, Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui, because why reinvent the wheel? -- this book is GOOD.

WHAT IS CLUTTER?

1.     Things you do not use or love.

2.     Things that are untidy or disorganized.

3.     Too many things in too small a space.

4.     Anything unfinished.  

Source

WAYS CLUTTER CAN AFFECT YOU:

·      Make you tired and lethargic

·      Keep you in the past

·      Congest your body

·      Fear of being poor

·      Fear of living your true path

·      Fear of letting good things in your life

·      Can confuse you

·      Can affect the way people treat you – respect

·      Affect your weight

·      Can make you procrastinate

·      Can cause disharmony

·      Can make you feel ashamed

·      Can put your life on hold

·      Create excess baggage

·      Can depress you

·      Can make you more disorganized

·      Be a fire/health hazard

·      Cleaning takes longer

·      Having clutter can dull your sensitivity and enjoyment of life

·      Create undesirable symbology

·      Can cost you financially

·      Can distract you from important things – does your stuff own you?

·      Lack mentality- make you poorer

·      Stuck in your woundology – identifying with a sad part of your life

WAYS TO DEAL WITH CLUTTER:

1.  Get rid of it.  No really.  JUST GET RID OF IT.

2.  Organize it. (From Sharon Stasney:  Decide if the item is Priority 1 -- needs to be accessible easily and often; Priority 2 -- still needs to be accessible but not, say, on the countertop; Priority 3 -- doesn't have to be readily accessible -- can be in more of a storage type space.  Then give the item a "home" accordingly!)

Again, it's just a peek, but hopefully an inspiring one.  Now get to it!

IF YOU WANT MORE, then click HERE to learn more about this 27-day online Declutter Your Way to Clarity course that I offer.  It'll give you a kick in the pants so that you'll never want to live with clutter again! Fun, easy, and good stuff.

Kid's Artwork -- Clutter Alert!

Here's today's Feng Shui Friday dilemma:
Got one for you. What to do with all of the folders of school work which includes first writing samples, art work (some I am sure done by the teacher and not my child) and other work that my kids have compiled from pre school / kindergarten over last 3-4 years. Along with first paintings and other art work ----this takes up a full big shelf of a closet. kids like looking at it still. And I want some of it....but....seriously, at this rate, we will need a garage just for papers.

And here's my response:
Teaching your children the "art" of letting go is just as important a lesson as any writing, math, or painting lesson!

Here's what I suggest:
1.  Buy a simple file box or expanding file binder like this:

from Staples

or a portfolio specifically for art  like this:

from eBay

Or get a really plain one, and write their name on it really pretty or let them decorate it with stickers -- whatever makes it special for them.

2.  Take an afternoon of fun and go through their art with them.  If you have file slots label them Pre-K, K, 1st, etc.  Let them choose 3 - 5 pieces (yes, three!) from each grade that they love the most.  Then let them give away (mayyybbee) or recycle the rest.  Or make a fun bonfire out of it!  Or if they really and truly seem more attached, let them glue the second-bests to a piece of posterboard for a collage.

3.  For the current grade, they can save more art throughout the year, and/or you can choose to display the most current stuff on a bulletin board or via this adorable DIY found on Pinterest:

http://lessthanperfectlifeofbliss.blogspot.com/2010/03/home-is-where-your-art-is.html

Then half way through the year, go back to step 1.

I think you will find that children are less attached to their things than you think.  I mean, think about it -- wouldn't it be sort of annoying if one day your mom came down from the attic and said, "Honey, I kept every art piece, every report card, every little teeny weeny success from your whole life, and here it is."  I mean, it might be fun to go through for an hour or so, but then what?  You'd be left feeling guilty about throwing it away, and who has room for that stuff!?

We don't need all these material and physical reminders of who we are and of what we are capable.  Keeping some, perhaps in a creative fashion, is great, but what's greater -- is teaching your children the lesson of non-attachment and that they don't have to have wonderful art pieces or perfect grades or 100 trophies to be valuable and loved.

Letting go is part of life.  And making choices of what to keep is part of life.  What better place to start than when they are young!

Feng Shui & Love: Overview

On August 27, I hosted a teleclass over the phone on Love & Romance.  We had a blast!  For those of you unable to make it, here's a brief summary of what we covered.

When a client's objective is to improve their love lives, whether they be single, in a relationship or marriage, or going through a break up or divorce, I first hone in on the two following places in their home:
1.  the bedroom &

Designed by Suzanne Kasler

2.  the back right section of the home.  (See my previous post on the Bagua & Romance for more details on this.)

Bedrooms are representative of Romance for obvious reasons.  (Ahem, it's called an intimate relationship for a reason.)

 I might soften this with a fluffy rug of some sort to keep a balance of yin/yang.  Source

Here's a checklist for the bedroom regarding Romance:
1.  Nothing under the bed.
2.  Two nightstands, representing balance
3.  Nurturing feel -- not too yin (feminine) and not too yang (masculine)
4.  Limited electronics.  NO work (i.e. laptop/desk) and no TV!
5.  No family photos.  You don't want your mum watching, do you?!
6.  No king beds.  (It's two twin put together -- represents a divide.)
7.  And of course, feng shui rule numero uno: no clutter.

In general, ask yourself this question of your bedroom:  Does it feel romantic?  Does it invite a partner into my life (okay...bed)?  Does it make someone feel welcome?

Another one by S. Kasler.  Imagine it at night, lit with candles.  Adding red roses would bring in passion.

Next up:  the Romance section of your bagua.
Take into account the following for that section:
1.  Be aware of anything that screams "single"....i.e. one chair, one strikingly single lamp, etc.

Uh, where's the love(seat) here?  Source

2.  Things in pairs are ideal, whether it's two candles, two flowers in a vase, or some nice artwork representing a pair.
3.  Colors:  Red, white, & pink are the typical "Romance" colors, but anything in Earth tones work as well.

a lovely sampling of Earth tones (minus that light blue)...  Source

4.  Elements to have:  Earth.  Containers, rocks, crystals, heavy items, and perhaps items in Earth-type colors will represent this element.  AND Fire.  Candles, flowers, bright colors (in doses of course) are all great for this section.
5.  Element to avoid:  Wood.  Too many plants, vertical lines, and colors in bright clear tones (such as green) should be AVOIDED in this section.  Wood "breaks up" Earth.

Please note:  the Self-Knowledge section should also be tended to when considering Intimate Relationships.  It's the front left section of the home according to the bagua map, and this is where single items are good!  When you know yourself, you have more to offer in a relationship and you will choose partners wisely, if single.  Again, Earth is the element in Self-Knowledge, so again, Earth and Fire should be represented, and Wood avoided.

If going through a break-up and wanting to move a divorce forward, consider avoiding pairs in the Romance section for the duration of time that you believe will be helpful for you.  When ready to manifest a new partner, implement the pairs again.

Single is sometimes very appropriate.  Great for Self-Knowledge too. source

One more important fact:  If you have many things from past lovers decorating your home and tucked into drawers, let them go!  It could mean that you are holding on emotionally to these past relationships, and that it is blocking you from allowing in someone new and better.  Be tough with yourself and donate, sell, recycle, or give away these items.

As always in Feng Shui, cures are not black and white but vary highly from person to person.  Furthermore, intention goes a long way, so when lighting those two candles or placing those two flowers, affirm that you are lighting them for an awesome love life!

I hope these little tips help a lot! Thanks for reading...

xoxo,
K

For more, read this previous post on bedrooms, titled More Sleep & Better Sex, Yes Please.

OH!  And there are two more FREE tele classes: Sept 3rd and 10th.  Email katierogersfengshui@gmail.com for more info.  Call in!  First up:  MONEY....

5 Really Simple Feng Shui Cures You Can Do Right Now

1.  Tidy up, organize, and clean.  (Even if it's one drawer, it counts!)

2.  Just move something -- anything -- if you're feeling stuck in your life.

3.  Get rid of the things that are holding you back energetically.  (i.e. a gift from an ex; clothing that doesn't fit; the bedspread you haven't used in 7 years; stuff, stuff, and more stuff.)  (Even if it's one thing, it counts!)

4.  Set an intention.  (Light a candle, paint a wall, dance a dance -- all while focusing on what you want.)

5.  Make a list of things around the house (and otherwise) that are "irritating" you.  Choose one to take care of this week.  For the rest, imagine that a magical helper is going to take care of all of those other things for you, and thank him or her for that.  And watch these things get "magically" done!  Be sure to cross them out when so!

How's that for simple?

Now, go!

Dalai Lama Promotes Feng Shui (in his own words)

Re-organizing my files for the new year, I came across this article I wrote that was published in Sun Valley, Idaho back in 2005.  The Dalai Lama had just visited and spoke there....

"A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life." --His Holiness the Dalai Lama

The above statement may seem simple at first reading, but upon consideration, it is really quite powerful. I believe that the Dalai Lama is emphasizing the importance of the state of one's living space....a.k.a. feng shui.

Too many people are careless with the space in which they work or dwell. In terms of the Black Sect Tantric Buddism school of feng shui (which is a derivative of Tibetan Tantric Buddhism), when a person is thoughtful (or thoughtless) in regard to his or her living space, it spills out into his or her life.

So why does feng shui have all those strange and curious "cures," you might ask, if all one has to do is create a "loving atmosphere"? The fact is most of us have forgotten what a loving atmosphere is. Sure, we may recognize it when we see it, but making it happen is a different story. This is a result of a mass disease that has taken over our world: that is the disease of not knowing how to love our selves completely. Otherwise, creating our lives according to our deepest desires and most lofty dreams would be a cinch.

I like to tell my clients to imagine reading a short story where the author describes the space. 

This a quick way to notice the "symbolism" that occurs in your own home. After all, the subconscious sees everything. It constantly absorbs messages from our environment and processes these messages. In turn, these messages are sent into our energy fields, creating the very lives we are experiencing. Imagine the difference of a home filled with unwanted gifts, dying plants, and cluttered closets compared to one with healthy flowers, treasured objects, and neatly organized closets with (gasp) extra space! The first home feels slightly neglected, even if the rest of the furnishings were pleasant, while the second space feels freer, lighter, and, cherished. Even the smallest of details have an impact. Our subconscious mind takes images without a filter.

A wonderful start to a loving atmosphere is to first discard or give away any objects that you do not love in your home. Clutter is a sure way to block your highest potential as the subconscious sees it as a symbol of things that we don't love or need in our lives and creates accordingly. It is amazing how letting go of a thing as simple as a candle from an unfaithful ex-lover or a blanket that you have never used because it is too scratchy can lighten your load! The subconscious gets the message that you'd rather have something (or someone) better in your life.

Next, play with ideas, and find out what it is that want to invite into your life. Then consciously bring it into your home symbolically. For example, you've always wanted to travel to Italy.   Then stick a postcard of the the Mediterranean on your refrigerator. Would you like to amp up your love life? Figure out your own personal "romance symbol" and drape it, plant it, or play it on your stereo everyday. The key to creating a great life is to get creative!

With every object in our homes, we are sending a message to ourselves and to the Universe. Wouldn't you want your message to be one of pure and uplifting love so that you could receive that, and only that, back? Use your conscious mind to transform your subconscious mind, and then witness the shifts in your life.